Support for shifting shuttle boxes



Jan. 11, 1955 A. c. KRUKONIS SUPPORT FOR SHIFTING SHUTTLE BOXES Filed NOV. 2, 1953 INVENTOR ALEXANDER G. KRUKONIS ATTORNEY United States Patent SUPPORT FOR SHIFTING SHUTTLE BOXES Alexander C. Krukonis, Auburn, Mass., assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 2, 1953, Serial No. 389,589

12 Claims. (Cl. 139-182) This invention relates to improvements in support means for shifting shuttle boxes of Weft replenishing pick and pick looms more particularly of the type operating with only two shuttles.

In a well-known form of weft replenishing pick and pick loom utilizing shifting shuttle boxes at both ends of the lay it is customary to employ a support for the two shuttle boxes at the reserve bobbin magazine end of the loom moving into supporting position when the two shuttle boxes are in the raised position in which a weft replenishing operation can occur. The support of this type heretofore used, however, has been controlled by the binder for the lower shuttle box, and the sequence of shuttle movements is such that there is always a shuttle in the lower box whenever the two shuttle boxes are to move down to place into active position a shuttle in the upper box. A support of the type mentioned is moved out of supporting position by the binder for the shuttle box and does not interfere with down motion of the boxes.

In pick and pick weft replenishing looms operating with only two shuttles for the weaving of such fabrics as sharkskin, however, a condition is likely to arise in the operation of the loom in which a shuttle is picked out of the bottom box on one pick of the loom and then the boxes are lowered to permit picking of another shuttle from the top box. Under such conditions a support of the type heretofore used will not operate due to absence of a shuttle from the lower box when the gang of boxes are to be moved down.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide support means for the gang of shifting shuttle boxes at the weft replenishing end of the loom which acts independently of presence or absence of a shuttle in the lower box and will move into supporting position with respect to the gang when the latter is in raised position but will move out of interfering position with respect to the gang when the latter is to move down.

Shifting shuttle boxes ordinarily move during a period of loom operation when the lay is moving approximately from its bottom center to its top center position. It is a further object of the invention to provide a support dependent for its motion toward and from supporting position upon the back and forth motion of the lay, the support being so controlled that it would not be in supporting position with respect to the shuttle gang at the beginning of a box shifting period and will therefore not interfere with down motion of the shuttle gang. If the gang is to remain up however continued forward motion of the lay will move the support to supporting position under some part of the gang.

It is a further object of the invention to pivot the support with respect to the lay and swing it in a vertical plane so that it will be in an inclined position at the beginning of the box shifting period and can be engaged by the gang if the latter is descending and deflected away from supporting position due to yielding of a spring or the like included in the mechanism which cooperates with the lay to swing the support about its pivot.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood reference is made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example the embodiments of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the weft replenishing end of the loom having the invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 22, Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed section on line 3-3, Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section on line 4-4, Fig. 2, gig. 5 is a detailed vertical section on line 5--5, Fig. 4, an

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are diagrammatic views showing the support, the operating mechanism therefor, and the lay in different positions.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the loom frame 1 supports a rocker shaft 2 from which extend upwardly lay swords 3 to support a lay 4. In the drawings only one of the lay swords is shown. The lay is reciprocated backwardly and forwardly from the top or crank shaft 5 by means of connectors 6 one of which is shown in Fig. 6. Both ends of the lay will ordinarily be provided with shifting shuttle boxes but the boxes at the right end of the loom only are shown.

The lay includes in its construction a lay end 7 having a back wall 8 and a lower horizontal floor 9 rigid with the adjacent lay sword. A gang G of shifting shuttle boxes having upper and lower boxes 10 and 11, respectively, is mounted on a lifter rod 12 the upper end of which is connected to a bobbin chute 13 the top of which is fastened to the under side of the gang G, as shown in more detail for instance in Brouwer Patent No. 2,300,200. A lifter connector 14 operated from the opposite side of the loom is operatively connected to the lower end of rod 12 and is the means by which the gang G can be controlled as to its vertical position. If the gang G is to have its position changed with respect to the lay this change will ordinarily occur during that part of the cycle of the loom when the lay is moving approximately from its bottom center position to approximately its top center position, or at a time when the lay is in the forward part of its reciprocation, and the boxes will be shifting, if they are called upon to shift, while the lay is passing through its front center position. After the gang has been shifted it may be held in either its raised or lowered position and does not necessarily shift on every pick of the loom.

The loom is equipped with weft replenishing mechanism only a part of which is indicated in Fig. 1, this part being the inner and outer guide plates 20 and 21 for a reserve bobbin B and a transferrer arm 22 which descends on weft replenishing beats of the loom when the gang is in raised position to replenish the shuttle S in the top box 10. The gang G is formed with a rear wall 25, a top 26, an intermediate floor 27 for the top box 10, and a bottom floor 28 for the lower box 11. Included in the construction of the gang is a vertical guide or stop plate 30 connecting the top 26 and floors 27 and 28 in front of the shuttle binders 31 and 32 for the top and bottom boxes 10 and 11, respectively. The bottom floor 28 as shown in Fig. 2 extends rearwardly from the guide 30, but it is to be understood that this bottom plate is cut away at the right of the plate 30 to provide a passageway for an outgoing bobbin at the time of bobbin transfer.

The matter thus far described except as noted hereinafter may be constructed and operated in known manner.

In carrying the invention into effect a small bearing stand 35 is secured by bolts 36 to the floor 9 of the lay end and affords support for a short shaft 37 the axis of which is preferably parallel to the lay. Secured to the shaft 37, as by a pin 38, is a shuttle box support means or member 39 comprising an arm 40 and a shuttle gang engaging tip 41 held in adjusted position along the arm 40 by means of screws 42 and slots 43.

A second arm 45 is also pinned as at 46 to the shaft 37 and is provided with a lengthwise slot 47 which affords adjustment for a stud 48 the head 49 of which is secured to the arm 45 by a nut 50. Stud 48 has a reduced shank 52 to which is pivoted the upper end of a rod head 53 held in adjusted position on a downwardly extending rod 54. The latter has secured thereto upper and lower guides 55 and 56, respectively, by set screws 57 and 58, respectively, the guides being adjustable along the rod 54. Slidable through the guides 55 and 56 is a second rod 60 having a collar 61 secured thereto as at 62 between the guides 55 and 56. A compression spring 63 is located between the collar 61 and the upper guide 55. The lower end of rod 60 is provided with a rodhead 65 pivoted on a stud 66 secured to a small stand 67 held to the loom frame by bolts 68. The arm 45 and the parts between it and the pivot stud 66 may be considered as operating means or control mechanism for the support 39. The stud 66 as shown in Fig. 2 may have its axis parallel to and spaced from, and preferably forwardly of the rocker shaft 2.

As the lay swings backwardly and forwardly the operating means for the support 39 will cause shaft 37 to rock counterclockwise and then clockwise in the stand 35. When the lay is on its back center position as shown in Fig. 6 the support 39 will be in its foremost non-supporting position due to a downward force exerted by the collar 61 on the guide 56 the effect of which is to cause arm 45 to move to its lowest position. As the lay moves forwardly a yielding force will be exerted upwardly by spring 63 against guide 55 having the effect of holding the rod 54 in the position with respect to rod 60 shown for instance in Fig. 6. If the gang G is in its high position as shown in Fig. 6 the support 39 will be free to move under the gang to support the floor 28 as the lay reaches its front center position and if a weft replenishing operation should occur at this time the support 39 will enable the gang to withstand and the downward force exerted by the transferrer arm 22.

As the lay moves forwardly, to the left in Fig. 2, the gang G may be below its high position, as by shifting downwardly, or the gang may be in its low position. If the gang should be shifting downwardly it will start to do so as the lay is moving forwardly and as the support 39 is moving rearwardly with respect to the lay, but at this time the support will be inclined and in some such position as shown in Fig. 7 so that the descending gang will strike the rear part of the support 39 and move it downwardly as it overcomes the yielding force exerted by the spring 63. If the gang should be in low position as the lay moves forwardly the support will engage the gang and be held against further motion toward its vertical supporting position, as shown in Fig. 8, and continued forward motion of the lay will result in downward motion of rod 54 with respect to rod 60 and compression of the spring 63. In either event the spring will be compressed and be unable to move support 39 to its supporting position, and breakage of the parts will be avoided.

Fig. 7 shows the positions which the parts will assume when the lay is approximately on its bottom center position, the support being spaced from and projecting forwardly in an upwardly inclined direction across the path of shifting of the gang G. Should the gang begin to move down as the lay continues to move forwardly from the position shown in Fig. 7 it will engage the inclined support and deflect it downwardly.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention sets forth a support for the gang G which tends to move toward the supporting position shown in Fig. 2 on each forward beat of the lay and is free to move to its supporting position if the gang is in high position. If, on the other hand, the gang is either moving downwardly or upwardly, or is in the low position shown in Fig. 8, as the lay moves forwardly, the gang will overpower the yielding force exerted by the spring 63 and prevent the support 39 from moving to a position in which it might be broken or interfere with the gang. The operating means for the support, and the lay, by its back and forth movements, cooperate to give the support 39 the motions already described. It will be noted that the support 39 moves into and out of its gang supporting position independently of whether the lower shuttle box 11 is empty or occupied by a shuttle. A small adjustable stop screw 70 may be carried by the vertical wall 8 of the lay and in alignment with the support 39 to limit movement of the latter to the right as viewed for instance in Fig. 7. This stop screw however will not be necessary in all instances. On each backward motion of the lay the support 39 is moved positively to its extreme non-supporting position, and as the lay moves forwardly a yielding force tends to move the support to its supporting position. The support 39 will be in an inclined position favorable to downward deflection when engaged by the gang and will extend across the path of shifting of the gang whether the latter is rising or falling. Also, the support is aligned with the stop plate which keeps it from engaging the shuttle binders.

As an example of a type of loom on which this invention can be used reference may be had to copending application Serial No. 389,548 filed by Kimmel on even date herewith, but the present invention is not limited in its use to a loom of that type.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, what is claimed is:

1. In a loom having a backwardly and forwardly moving lay and having a shuttle box gang shiftable vertically thereon up to and dowh from a high position with respect to the lay, support means for said gang mounted on the lay for movement toward supporting position with respect to said gang, and control mechanism for the support means cooperating with the lay and effective due to movement of the latter to exert a yielding force on said support means tending to move the latter toward the supporting position thereof during each forward movement of the lay, said force acting if the box gang is in high position to move the supporting means to the supporting position thereof but yielding in the event of engagement of the support means with the box gang if the latter is below the high position thereof to permit the support means to assume a non-supporting position with respect to said box gang.

2. In a loom having a backwardly and forwardly moving lay and having a gang of two shuttle boxes shiftable vertically thereon up to and down from a high position with respect to the lay, support means for said gang mounted on the lay for movement toward supporting position with respect to said gang, and control mechanism for the support means acting independently of the absence or presence of a shuttle in the lower shuttle box of the gang to move the support means to the supporting position thereof during forward movement of the lay if the shuttle box gang is in its high position.

3. lhe loom set forth in claim 2 wherein the lay swings about an axis parallel thereto and the control mechanism includes a part pivoted to rock about an axis spaced from the axis of the lay.

4. The loom set forth in claim 2 wherein operation of the control mechanism to move the support means to the supporting position thereof is due to cooperation of the control means and the lay as the latter moves forwardly.

5. The loom set forth in claim 2 wherein the control mechanism includes a resilient member normally capable when the gang is in high position of transmitting a force to move the support means to supporting position but yielding and ineffective to move the support means to supporting position in the event the box gang is below the high position thereof and engages the support means.

6. in a loom having a backwardly and forwardly moving lay and having a shuttle box gang shiftable vertically thereon up to and down from a high position with respect to the lay, support means for said gang pivoted with respect to the lay below said gang for movement from an inclined non-supporting position toward a vertical supporting position relative to said gang, operating means for the support cooperating with the lay as the latter moves forwardly and including a spring exerting a force effective to swing the support from said inclined position to said vertical position under the gang, provided the gang is in the high position thereof, said spring yielding in the event the gang is descending and engages the support while the latter is inclined and moves the support in a direction away from said vertical position.

7. In a loom having a backwardly and forwardly moving lay and having a shuttle box gang shiftable vertically thereon up to and down from a high position with respect to the lay, support means for said gang pivoted with respect to the lay below said gang for movement toward a vertical supporting position relative to said gang, operating means for the support cooperating with the lay when the latter moves rearwardly to move the support to an inclined position away from said supporting position, said operating means having a tendency to move the support from said inclined position toward said supporting position as the lay moves forwardly, said operating means effective to move said support to said supporting position in the event the gang is in high position as the lay moves forwardly, and the gang if moving downwardly as the lay moves forwardly engaging the support while the latter is in an inclined position and deflecting it in a direction away from said vertical supporting position in opposition to and overcoming said tendency.

8. In a loom having a backwardly and forwardly moving lay and having a shuttle box gang shiftable vertically thereon up to and down from a high position with respect to the lay, a shaft mounted for rocking movement on the lay under the gang, a support for the gang secured to and turning with the shaft, and operating means exerting a yielding force on said shaft tending to turn the latter in a direction to move the support to supporting position with respect to said gang as the lay moves forwardly, the gang if below the high position thereof as the lay moves forwardly engaging the support and overpowering said yielding force and preventing the support from moving to said supporting position.

9. The loom set forth in claim 8 wherein said operating means includes a rod pivoted to move about a stationary axis spaced from the axis of the lay, a second rod operatively connected to said shaft, and a spring operatively connecting said rods and exerting said yielding force on the shaft.

10. The loom set forth in claim 8 wherein said operating means includes a rod pivoted to move about a stationary axis spaced from the axis of the lay, a second rod operatively connected to said shaft, a guide secured to one of said rods through Which the other rod slides, and a spring exerting a force on said other rod in a direction toward said stationary axis and exerting a force on said guide in a direction toward said shaft.

11. The loom set forth in claim 8 wherein the gang is provided with shuttle binders and a stop for the binders forward of the latter, and said support is vertically aligned with said stop.

12. In a loom having a backwardly and forwardly moving lay and having a shuttle box gang shiftable vertically thereon up to and down from a high position with respect to the lay, support means pivoted to the lay under said gang and swingable to supporting and nonsupporting positions with respect to the gang, means cooperating with the lay to swing said support to nonsupporting position on each backward movement of the lay, and a spring effective during forward motion of the lay to exert a yielding force on the support tending to move the latter from the non-supporting to the supporting position thereof, said spring in the event said gang is in high position moving the support to said supporting position as the lay moves forwardly, and the gang if below the high position thereof as the lay moves for wardly engaging said support and overpowering said spring and preventing the latter from moving the support to said supporting position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,300,199 Brouwer Oct. 27, 1942 2,300,200 Brouwer Oct. 27, 1942 2,300,217 Grzesik Oct. 27, 1942 2,669,260 Foisy et a1. Feb. 16, 1954 

